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Gastroenteritis
Gastroenteritis is a viral infection which causes terrible diarrhoea. The most important thing to remember when dealing with gastroenteritis is that is a highly contagious virus and if there are other children in the house, you may want to confine her to her own space. The symptoms of gastroenteritis are:
- Diarrhoea
- Vomiting
- Headache
- Fever
- Chills
- Abdominal pain
Unfortunately, this virus can last up to ten days but can pass in as little as two. Because of the similarities, gastroenteritis is often confused with the stomach flu. This highly contagious virus can be transmitted by:
- Contact with infected people
- Eating food or drinking beverages that are contaminated with the virus
There is not much that your doctor can do for your child if she does in fact have gastroenteritis. The most important thing to remember is to make sure that your child stays hydrated because she may be loosing plenty of fluid. Also, it is important to recognize if your child is becoming dehydrated. Watch for excessive thirst or dry mouth in your child. Note if your child has very little urine or very dark yellow urine. Make sure she is not overly lethargic or dizzy. What you can do to keep your child comfortable is:
- Let her drink small amounts of clear liquids or suck on ice chips
- Give your child drinks that contain electrolytes
- Try the BRAT diet; Broth, Rice, Apples, Toast
- Limit dairy products
- Rest
Make sure that you avoid getting it yourself by washing your hands after using the washroom or changing nappies and before eating.
Genital herpes
Some people, children and adults, are carriers of a virus called herpes simplex. Herpes simplex is caused by a virus called HSV. Most of the time the virus remains dormant, although the child can pass it on and nothing can be done to stop this. When he is run down, usually when he has a cold the virus attacks. The first attack usually takes the form of a crop of extremely painful ulcers in the mouth. Later attacks take the form of unpleasant sores round the mouth or nostrils, starting as red patches, becoming open and weepy and then forming scabs which tend to crack. There is lotion that can be applied and has proven to be effective in treating the sores. You can transmit genital herpes through sexual contact. So if you know that you are having an outbreak, you will not want to have any sexual contact with another person. Also, if you are pregnant, your doctor may advise you to have a caesarian section to avoid transmitting it to your baby.
Group B Streptococcus
Group Beta Strep is a common bacteria that lives in the vagina and anus. It is a different strain of the virus that causes strep throat. Many women carry GBS and don’t know it but may pass it on to their baby during the delivery of their baby. GBS can cause a serious neonatal infection. Your doctor will test you for GBS during your pregnancy. Usually, the culture is performed closer to the end of pregnancy. If your GBS test comes back positive, you will need to receive IV antibiotics at the time of delivery. If your membranes rupture, you will need antibiotics immediately so that the bacteria is not passed on to your baby.
German measles (rubella)
Rubella, also known as German measles, is a disease caused by the rubella virus. This contagious virus is spread by way of mucus. This means that an infected person can give it to someone else by coughing or sneezing. This may also mean that if you come into contact with the infected person’s mucus and touch your eyes, nose, or mouth, you can also come down with it yourself. They symptoms of rubella are very similar to those of influenza and may include:
- Sore throat
- Fever
- Swollen glands
- Eye pain
- Body aches
- Rash
By the time the rash appears, you are not as contagious. The problem with this is that your child may be in close contact with another child who is a carrier and doesn’t even know it yet. If you are pregnant and you have rubella, you can pass it on to your baby. This may result in congenital rubella syndrome or CRS. CRS babies may have eye problems such as cataracts, hearing problems, or heart disease.
For support, contact:
www.hpa.org.uk
Genetic Disorders
Genetic disorders range from Tay-Sachs disease to Down’s syndrome. They are the result of a chromosomal abnormality. To understand why genetic disorders occur, you must understand the structure of the human chromosomes. The body is made of cells and all of them contain chromosomes. Most cells of the human body contain 23 pairs of chromosomes. You get 23 pairs from your biological father and 23 from your biological mother. If you have a triple screen test that looks suspicious or an amniocentesis that comes back positive for a genetic disorder, you may wish to seek the advice of a genetic counselor.
Glue Ear
Glue ear is becoming increasingly common as a result of frequent courses of antibiotics for middle ear infections. It seems as though the ear infections are leaving an accumulation of sterile gluey stuff in the middle ear. It is not infected but it is trapped and, by preventing the ear drum from vibrating as it should, it makes the child partially deaf.
Treatment for glue ear is usually the insertion of special tubes in the ear that help equalize the pressure on either side of the ear drum. The improvement in the child’s hearing is almost always completely successful.
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